Calendar
Ferallon functions on a 365 day year. Among human and most elven and gnomish populations, this is split into 13 months of 28 days each. These months consist of 4 weeks of 7 days. The remaining day left unaccounted for is Midwinter Day, a recurring holiday which occurs at the Winter Solstice each year, and is the first day of a new calendar year. The months progress as follows; Provenance Glimmer Furrow Founding Burgeon Valor Highsummer Repose Foresight Yielding Felling Keening Loss These names for months are most frequently used in human-dominated areas, other cultures may refer to them differently. There are numerous festivals and holidays that occur throughout the year, the most notable being Midwinter Day, the start of the new year, and the one day in the calendar which exists outside of the traditional structure of months and weeks. It is a day unto itself. Traditionally, Midwinter Day is observed by abstaining from work, people use the time to bond with their families and friends, visit neighbors, and exchange gifts of food and trinkets. Beginning the 7th and culminating on the 14th of Highsummer, many communities celebrate a summer festival characterized by community fairs and bazaars. People stay up late, thanks to the longest days of the year, they drink fruit wines and sing and boast of their accomplishments. Many festivals incorporate sports and competitions into these festivals, holding footraces and games of skill, which comes to a head on Midsummer Day, the 14th, on which revelers gather in their community centers for giant bonfires and dancing early into the next morning. Individual communities hold various other festivals as well throughout the year, to celebrate the harvest season, or the birthday/deathday of local heroes or legendary kings. Religious organizations also hold feasts and celebrations in honor of their chosen deities, as appropriate to the things those deities hold dear. As an example, the Feast of Fharlanghn takes place on the 1st of Burgeon, and is an important day for travellers, and many choose to undertake long or important journeys on this day. Clerics of Fharlanghn make an effort to be present in towns on this day. They erect arches of woven branches at the exit of the town, and lend their blessings to those who pass under it, hoping to bestow good fortune and easy travel on those who are making a journey. The feast of Olidammara, admittedly more popular in urban areas, is celebrated by playing generally harmless pranks on friends and family. Those who are a little more daring may choose to wear a penny-pouch on their belts and go to their local marketplace. A penny pouch is generally a very small purse, containing a few copper or a silver coin, made of brightly colored fabric, to make it noticeable. The local thieves make a game of trying to steal the pouch without being noticed, and if they are successful, the victim is said to have received Olidammara's blessing, and a certain amount of protection from ill-luck and trickery. Some believe that the greater the amount that was in the stolen pouch correlates to the power of the blessing. This fest occurs on the 16th of Founding.